Five of the Most Remote Restaurants in America

In recent times convenient and fast food restaurants can be found on each corner. People line up at drive-through windows day in and day out just to save the time taken to walk into the restaurant it self.

With this in mind, it’s difficult to picture most people going out of their way to get a meal. Here’s a list of eateries, however far flung they may be, that are thought to be worth the extra time and effort to there to try their food.

1. Hawk’s Crawfish

Owner Anthony Arceneax uses only the best local catch at his Rayne, Louisiana establishment located on a lonely country road outside of town. There can be an hour wait on weekends as customers find their way from Houston, Texas, 200 miles to the west, and New Orleans, 150 miles to the east, for some of the best crawdads you ever tasted.

Since 1983, Arceneax has used his own blend of secret spices along with a unique method of cleaning the fish. On a busy Saturday night, Hawk’s can serve as much as a ton of crawfish. Hawk’s is only open in season, from January through June of each year.

2. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

Back in 2001, GQ Magazine named this backwoods restaurant in the tiny town of Mason, Tennessee as one of the 10 meals in the world worth flying for. Gus’s original restaurant is still going strong in Mason and its sole franchised outlet in Memphis also does a killer business. Gus’s uses a secret wet batter to coat its chicken, creating amazingly juicy fried chicken.

3. Sugar & Spice

Ski enthusiasts in Vermont might be more familiar with this remote breakfast place, a 50-minute drive from the Killington Ski Resort. However, many non-skiers are willing to take a much longer drive, say 170 miles from Boston, just to enjoy a stack of what are considered to be the best pumpkin pancakes in the world. Sugar & Spice is located in the town of Mendon, Vermont.

4. Hell’s Backbone Grill

This delightful restaurant is located in Boulder, Utah, 250 miles south of Salt Lake City and one of the most remote towns in the lower 48 states. Visitors from all over the globe come to Boulder to enjoy what for many is a unique dining experience. For owners Jen Castle and Blake Spaulding, Hell’s Backbone Grill is so remote that locally sourced foods are the only option.

5. Snow’s Barbecue

As everyone knows, Texas is a big state, known for its massive cattle ranches and, of course, for the quality of its barbecue. With literally hundreds of barbecue restaurants vying for supremacy, Snow’s Barbecue won the state title in 2008.

Snow’s is located in Lexington, 120 miles from Austin. There is one catch, however. Before you pile into your car to make the pilgrimage to Lexington, know that Snow’s is only open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until whenever the supply of fresh hot barbecue is gone.